Confunded
by dizzylizzy13
Summary: Beginning in Fourth Year, Hermione and Fred become friends, and maybe...more?
1. Chapter 1

Hermione Granger stood desolately by the portrait of the Fat Lady, looking around wistfully. She had retreated to the Gryffindor dorm shortly after Ron had ruined her evening. But now, she couldn't recall the password. Holding back more tears, she sniffed discreetly, and leaned against the wall. The Fat Lady shrugged, and carried on with humming. The clever witch let her watering eyes flutter closed.

"Hermione?" They shot open again. Standing before her was a tall red-head, looking concerned.

"Oh, hello Fred." She sighed before closing her eyes once more.

Shocked at her immediate recognition of him, the older boy stuttered, "How'd you know it was me?"

Without opening her eyes, Hermione simply responded , "You're eyes are different. You're voice is deeper." Fred chuckled, and whispered the password to the Fat Lady, who swung open obligingly.

"After you, m'lady," He announced grandly, sweeping his had before him. Hermione giggled wetly, and stepped through the porthole.

Sitting in an armchair with an over exaggerated 'oof', Fred grinned up at her, patting the arm rest, gesturing for her to sit down. She did, the skirts of her dress ruffling slightly. Her hair was falling from its complex do.

"Is it Ron?" The redhead asked suddenly, glancing at her analytically. She nodded, and then sniffed, wiping her eyes.

"He's just so….so…thick! And he never knows what he wants, and he doesn't ever understand anything!" She whispered, tears rolling down her rose-flushed cheeks. Fred patted her arm consolingly.

"I know Ron is very, very, very, very, I could keep saying very forever really, oblivious. He's like a ginger haired buffoon really…" Fred stated, watching the witch poised on his armchair hopefully, waiting for a laugh. He got one, and let a smile of his own creep across his face. But the laughter in her eyes was gone all too soon, and she sighed.

"It's all so stupid, isn't it? I mean, me. And Ron. It couldn't ever, ever be. And I'm not sure I even want it, you know?" Her silky brown hair fell across her face as she looked down at her feet. Fred didn't know what to do to lighten her mood, so he did what first came to mind. He pulled her slight form into his lap and hugged her. He then noticed she smelled of cinnamon and parchment paper, and he liked it. She squeaked indignantly at first, but then buried her head in his shoulder. She took deep breaths of his cologne, and felt herself relax into him. She felt indescribably better then, as though through Fred, she had gotten rid of some huge weight on her heart. But then she wondered exactly what would happen if Ron or Harry, or both really, walked in at that moment. She untangled herself from the embrace, and stood up.

"Fred, I have to get changed, and do homework." She said curtly, but as she walked behind the armchair holding a disgruntled Fred, she leaned down and kissed his cheek, whispering in his ear, "Thank you." Before disappearing up into the girls common room.

Moments later, a punch-happy George paraded into the room, and plopped down beside his twin, whose face was redder than his hair.

"Blimey mate, what have I missed? It looks like you've been Confunded!" Fred simply shook his head, and shrugged.


	2. Immiataions

**Chapter 2, Imitations**

**Hermione goes to stay at the Burrow over the summer between fourth and fifth year. Poor, poor Fred! I don't own HP, at all. **

After the incident in the common room, Fred often found himself wondering vaguely about Hermione. It was a sort of subconscious awareness of her, wherever she was in a room, he would just sense it. She became so much of a part of his daily life that when summer came, he felt almost let-down that he wouldn't see her until September.

After a month of being home with her parents, Hermione Jean Granger was bored. It wasn't that she found her parent's boring, it was just the lack of anything magical. Her only magical ties over summer were letters via owl, and that hardly sufficed. So, after a generous invite from Mrs. Weasley, and her parent's consent, she was on her way to the Burrow to spend the remainder of her summer amongst the flock of red heads.

Upon her arrival, she was immediately caught up in a family-hug, comprised of Ron, Ginny, Fred, George, Mrs. Weasley, and Mr. Weasley. This caught her thoroughly by surprise, because she always assumed Harry was the 'extra-Weasley'. But before she could even say a word, Mrs. Weasley announced that supper was ready, and told Hermione that she was much too thin for a growing girl. As the brunette was hustled inside, Fred caught her eye and winked conspiratorially. Giggling, she winked back as she was ushered through the door.

A few days later, Hermione was taking a little breather outside. Ginny and her mother were have a heated 'discussion' about whether or not new, gold-embroidered robes were a necessity for the upcoming school year, Ronald had been dogging her, something she found most unpleasant (what with having to live with him and see him nearly all the time anyway), and Mr. Weasley was attempting to repair a muggle car, with disastrous (and mildly explosive) results. So she had taken to the outdoors with a book, and decided to stay there all day. She'd only been reading for an hour or so before she sensed a presence standing over her.

Thinking that it was Ron, once again trying to teach her Quidditch or get her to help him 'study' for the new year, she said, "Ronald, for the last time, I'm not interested in Quidditch, and I know you have no real interest in studying!"

"That's a bit harsh isn't it?" A completely un-Ron voice replied in an amused tone.

"Oh, Fred, it's you. I thought it was Ron. He's been following me all day, no peace from him, I swear…" She trailed off, unsure of what to say. The tall ginger plopped down beside her in the grass, and looked over her shoulder to see what book it was she was reading.

"Ah, 'The Wizards Top Hat'. A brilliant story, very good choice indeed Miss Granger!" He said in an astoundingly good imitation of Professor McGonagall. Hermione laughed, closing the book before turning to face him.

"How do you do such good imitations?" She asked playfully.

"Oh, natural talent. Born with it…it's a blessing and a curse really," He replied seriously.

"Oh really?" She said, raising an eyebrow skeptically.

"Of course not! I learned it from a joke book in 3rd year," Fred admitted, a goofy grin on his face. The bookish girl laughed again, her eyes bright. He felt a jolt of something in his stomach, but before he could identify it, it'd disappeared.

"Of course! Who else can you do?" And so the two friends spent a sunny few hours attempting to imitate everyone they knew. Fred did a smashing Dumbledore and McGonagall, while Hermione could easily pull of both Lavender Brown and Trelawny. But Fred beat her by one, with a dead on imitation of Snape. By the end of the afternoon, they were rolling around in fits of laughter.

"Hermio-Fred? Oh, never mind. Dinner!" Came the disgruntled call from Mr. Weasley, and the pair set off inside.

After dinner, Hermione decided to use the last rays of sunlight for more reading, and once again retired to the outdoors. And once again, Fred joined her. This time, they didn't talk much, but sat, enjoying the sounds that come with the last moments of dusk. Finally, the sun went down, and they were forced inside for the last time that day.

"G'night Fred," Hermione whispered, before rushing off to bed.

"Goodnight, Hermione…" He replied, even thought she couldn't hear him. With a great sigh, he plopped down in a chair.

"Well Fred, whatever she does to you, I can't decide if it's hilarious or pitiful!" Called George. But his twin made no reply, simply staring after the curly haired girl.

**End of chapter two! Aw..poor Freddy! Stay tuned to see what's in store for our besotted red head next time! Don't forget to review!  
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	3. Chapter 3

Confunded

Chapter 3

The evening of Harry's arrival was terribly disappointing for Hermione. For one thing, she'd expected a cheerful greeting. Instead, she'd been yelled at. Secondly, both Ron and Harry appeared to be in a vile mood afterwards. So she retreated to a room in the house, and decided to stay there until things settled down. As she sat down in a faded red armchair, there was a bang, and none other than Fred Weasley appeared before her.

"Fred!" She half-shouted, jumping up. He laughed, and sat down on the floor.

"Hallo Hermione!" She glared down at him, but there was a small smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.

"Have you ever heard of knocking?"

"Nope!"

There was a moment of silence, in which the young witch stared down at the red head, who had the air of someone who didn't plan on leaving anytime soon.

"Bloody awful at hellos, Harry is," Fred said finally. Hermione let out a bitter laugh before plopping down on the floor beside him.

"He's not always like that," She said, looking down at her hands. She felt the back of her throat burning with held-back tears. Fred patted her shoulder consolingly, wondering of Harry was always this angst-y .

"C'mon, Hermione! It's not that bad, really," He said. She shook her head, smiling slightly.

"And I know Ron's being a prat, be we don't need them to have a good time!" This time, she laughed. It was a real laugh, no bitterness at all. Fred grinned.

"Well…I do have a good old muggle prank I've always wanted to try…" And that was how the little shop near the Order's secret house became terrorized by the old 'bucket-of-water-on-the-door' trick.

When Hermione and Fred returned from frightening local shoppers, they found that the Hide-Out had quieted down substantially. Harry and Ron had made peace, and Harry apologized to Hermione profusely. The only person not completely affected by the change of mood was George, who only smirked knowingly at his besotted twin.

Fred found Hermione sitting outside after dinner. She was on the doorstep, still beneath the protection of the charms the place was under. He sat down beside her, and she smiled vaguely at him. He could tell her mind was millions of miles away.

"Thanks…for today," She murmured, "I sorta needed that."

"Anytime," He replied. The bushy-haired witch got up, and said a quiet goodnight, then, and left Fred outside. To ponder exactly why his heart was beating far to fast.

**That took awhile! Tell me if my facts are fuzzy for this...I haven't read "Order of the Phoenix" in a while. Review with story ideas!-DizzyLizzy**


	4. Chapter 4

Confunded

Chapter 4

The beginning of Fifth Year was a rush for both Hermione and Fred. With Umbridge and all other disasters, they didn't see each other much. Fred found himself missing her presence, he'd grown used to it over summer, and found himself feeling a little down. Hermione Granger was also missing someone. Over summer, she'd decided that Fred was not half-bad, and on the whole, was a fairly nice guy. And not bad looking. She blushed whenever he came into her mind, thinking of his flaming red hair framing his freckled face. She loved watching him play Quidditch, his lean form arched over the broom, zooming around the pitch. He was one of the reasons she frequented practices.

It was a cool evening, and Hermione was in the Common Room reading. Fred had just gotten off practice, and was somewhat thrilled to find her alone. He plopped down on the sofa beside her, and she looked up, raising an eyebrow. He grinned, and she laughed before closing the book.

"What have you been up to, Fred? I haven't seen you in so long!" He smiled, his eyes lighting up. Hermione felt her stomach tremble, and looked at him.

"Actually, I was just talking to George and Jordan…and we have a plane for Umbridge," And so he explained the fireworks to an open-mouthed Hermione.

"And then, we fly out on brooms and use the money Harry gave us to start a joke shop!"

"But…what about school…what about your friends?" _What about me?_ She thought, a horrible feeling filling her chest.

"Oh…well…" She could tell this hadn't even crossed his mind. Typical Fred, always looking for an adventure, fun. She knew he'd never really take time to look at the big picture. To really see it. She felt hot tears pricking at the back of her eyes.

"Oh," She murmured, "Ok…when are you doing this?"

"In about a week, maybe two..." He trailed off, gazing at her. Hermione's eyes were trained on the floor, and he could see they were filling with tears.

"Oh Hermione, oh no…" He wrapped his arms around her, "C'mere Mione."

His usage of her pet name made her sob all the harder, and she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"You'll see me over the holidays! You'll never know I'm gone, honest! You guys will all be fine!"

But somehow, the idea Fred's being gone made Hermione feel unsettled. She knew they were the ones people looked to, to stand up to the awful woman.

"Okay…okay," She sighed finally, the tears had stopped coming, "But the night before you do this, I want you to meet with me here."

Fred nodded solemnly, and ruffled her hair.

"Deal. I swear on Merlins favorite pants that I, Fred Weasley, will meet with you here, the night before my escapade."

As Fred said goodnight to Hermione that evening, he could feel his stomach twisting. He really hadn't thought of leaving her behind. Or the wrath of his mother, another point she'd brought to him. But it was a plan, for his freedom. And with that, he hugged her goodnight and kissed the top of her head before trotting up the steps to his Dorm. _It's all going to be fine!_ He thought to himself. And maybe it was the hug, or the way she smiled at him, but he knew it was the truth.


	5. Chapter 5

It was a wonderfully warm night, and not a cloud in the sky. But for Hermione, the proper description would be 'Twas a dark and stormy night'. This was because a certain red headed jokester had told her that tomorrow; he was getting kicked out of Hogwarts.

"I'm _sorry_ Hermione! But it has to be done!" She was shaking with a mix of fury, and aching sadness.

"I know the woman's a beast Fred, but can't you just rebel quietly! This is ridiculous!" She wasn't screaming. She was whispering, staring intently at him. Which made it all the harder.

"What good is that going to do? The DA got busted; it's time someone stood up for something, in a big way!" Hard as he tried, Fred couldn't keep the exasperation out of his voice as he paced the length of the Room of Requirement. Hermione's eyes began to water, but she blinked the tears back.

"Fred, no matter what you do, nothing's going to change. You're just leaving me-er- us, with less protection from her! Less people fighting!" Her voice was audibly quivering now, and Fred took her shoulders.

"Hermione, please, please don't do this to me. You know I can't just rebel quietly; it's not in my nature. And trust me; you will be well protected, even without Me n' George around. And I'm sorry, you have no idea how much, that I'll have to go after this, but I want to do it. I want to set fireworks off in that Toads face, to show her we're still fighting," Hermione looked up at him, and gave him a watery smile.

"Okay, I think I understand. Just don't do anything too stupid, like set it off during exams. And for Merlin's sake, promise me you won't fall off you're broom!" Fred laughed, and hugged her. They stood like that for a moment, her face buried in his shoulder, the mixed smells of joke-candy and cologne filling her nose. She smiled, and leaned back. In one swift movement, she went on tip-toes and kissed his cheek. He turned a bright scarlet, and grinned at her.

"Goodnight Fred and good luck!" She whispered before turning and leaving the room, on her way back to her dorm, and bed.

And so when Fred Weasley and Twin set off the fireworks, in the middle of exams no less, Hermione Granger grinned at them, trying to fill her every thought with joy and happiness, and all the moments Fred had made her laugh. Because it was what he would want her to do. And when Fred took off out the window, on his way to a new life, he only looked back once, to find Hermione in the crowd, and wink at her.

"Hogwarts really won't be the same without Fred and George," Harry said, later that night. Hermione just smiled, and looked out the window.

"We'll see them again, Harry. And knowing Fred, it will most certainly be sooner than the summer holidays."

**Okay guys, I think that's the end of this little series! I might add another chapter, with letters back and forth between Fred and Hermione, but that's just an idea! Tell me how you liked the ending! You know what to do! Scroll down to the bottom of the page, and hit the button that says review! Poem skills right there. Thanks for reviewing and favorite-ing this story, you guys rock!-Dizzylizzy13**


	6. Epilogue

Confunded

Epilogue

_Dear Hermione,_

_George and I have used the money Harry gave us to buy a place in Diagon Alley. Mum threw a fit when we got home, but when we told her about Umbridge, she settled down a little bit, although she still wants us to go back next year. The Burrow is quiet without Ron, Ginny, Harry, and you. Come down and visit over the Summer Holidays, promise? George says "Hello Hermione, what've you done to my brother?" Forgive him for that, okay? He's got nearly nothing in that head of his, I got all the intelligence. Tell Ronald that when he gets home, he needs to tidy his room. That's what mum says. And Dad wants to know what dentists use to pull teeth. How're you, Hermione? Is everything okay? How's Harry holding up? Is Ron still a git? Tell him I'll hex him so hard he'll wake up in another time-zone, if he's still being a prat. Enclosed is a muggle book I thought you'd like, it's written by some bloke named Shakespeare. Tell me how you're O.W.L's went in your reply. I'm sure you'll get 'Outstanding' on everything, you're brilliant. Send an owl to your parents, to see if you can visit this summer. Mum loves you, says you're a good influence. Funny, right? Write back soon,_

_Love,_

_Fred Weasley_

_**Dear Fred,**_

_** It was so kind of you to write me, I've missed you. When are you going to open the shop? I can't wait to see it. I know you're not coming back next year, so I ought not to beg you too. Tell George I haven't done anything to you, you've done it to yourself, silly! And Ronald says he won't clean anything. He's in a rebellious faze, but I'm sure he'll recover from it. And dentists use rather large pliers to pull teeth. Fred, I'm fine, really. With some help from the Centaurs, we got rid of Umbridge. It's a long story, better told in person. But Harry isn't doing so well…Sirius died. Again, better told in person. Ron is Ron, tactless. And I'll be sure to keep that threat up my sleeve for further use. That muggle book is 'Romeo and Juliet', how did you know it was my favorite? My O.W.L's went okay, I think I messed up Ancient Runes, but I'll live. I'm visiting this summer, apparently you're mother beat me to it. Fred… you're far more brilliant than me. **_

_**Love,**_

_**Hermione Granger**_

_Dear Hermione,_

_You write back fast! We're opening the shop at the end of summer, and I hope that you'll come see it. I assure you that Ron will get over his faze the moment he gets home and needs mum to feed him. Pulling teeth sounds awful, and that is why I brush daily. Give Harry my sympathy, the poor bloke's been through enough. And about the book? I just had a feeling when I saw it. And Hermione Jean Granger, I bet you did wonderfully in Ancient Runes. I cannot wait for you to come visit us, and will have a talk with mum about telling me when people are going to visit. Hermione, you're braver than me, you ought to know that by now. _

_Love,_

_Fred Weasley_

_**Dearest Fred,**_

_**I love you.**_

_**Sincerely Spoken,**_

_**Hermione Granger**_

_Hermione Jean Granger,_

_I love you too. _

_Honestly,_

_Fred Weasley_

**That's the end, folks. Epilogue and all. What did you think? Review!**

_**-Dizzylizzy13**  
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